Judge of Souls-Chapter 34 - Seventh Night

White Impermanence said the underworld would send someone to help, and Jiang Feng had hoped the person would be somewhat reliable. However, when dinnertime came, a young man in white clothes was suddenly sitting at the dining table by the door.

Yama grumpily slapped the table and said, “Bring this lord some barbecue first!”

Jiang Feng: “……”

No barbecue here, but there’s stir-fried meat with bamboo shoots. Would you like that instead?

Seeing Jiang Feng’s darkening expression, White Impermanence quickly pulled him aside and asked, “Jiang Feng, do you now know your identity?”

“I generally know I’m somewhat different,” Jiang Feng said, looking away. “But I still don’t remember.”

White Impermanence sighed in relief and said, “Knowing is enough; not remembering doesn’t matter. Let me teach you—when it’s critical, don’t worry about anything. Just go wherever danger is and don’t be afraid to lose your life. A good sleep will solve everything.”

Jiang Feng: “……”

These two definitely had a grudge before.

Seeing that Jiang Feng didn’t respond, Yama continued to shout. “I also want an egg! I want to eat pork, lamb, beef, and even dog meat! That King Biancheng bullies me too much. Let’s see what he can do to me!”

The Sixth Hall’s ruler, King Biancheng, highly values etiquette and loves lecturing people daily. He detests those who eat large quantities of beef, dog meat, or any animal flesh.

“Hurry up! Can’t you order takeout? Did you get the one million I left for you last time?” Yama ground his back teeth forcefully. “If you obey, this lord might forgive you.”

Jiang Feng said, “Instant noodles are in the small storage room.”

Yama: “I don’t want instant noodles anymore!”

Black Impermanence said, “You need a phone to order food. Lord Yama, I’ll help you order. What else would you like? That mortal cultivator named Chu Xuanliang from last time seems to have money. I’ll contact him now.”

Meanwhile, White Impermanence continued chatting nonsense with Jiang Feng.

“After you lost your Judge’s Brush…” White Impermanence lamented, covering his face. “Everyone thought Lord Yama took it. He’s been having a hard time in the Underworld.”

Jiang Feng was startled.

For such a child to be falsely accused was truly pitiful. Being under others’ suspicious gazes was uncomfortable.

White Impermanence continued. “King Qinguang is always afraid he’s coveting his great mirror, so he constantly posts guards by the platform. Every ghost who wants to look in the mirror is first asked, ‘Are you from the Fifth Hall?'”

Jiang Feng frowned.

White Impermanence: “Especially King Wuguan, who constantly bothers King Yama, telling him to stop playing and quickly produce the Judge’s Brush. Oh, do you know who King Wuguan is?”

The Fourth Hall’s ruler, King Wuguan—a stingy and frugal King of Hell. He particularly despises counterfeiters, thieves, those who seek minor profits, and wasteful individuals.

“Anyway, he’s extremely annoying and impossible to get rid of. The Underworld has been peaceful for so many years, and finally something new happens, so everyone rushes to watch the drama.” White Impermanence paused and said, “They all want to know how Lord Yama stole the Judge’s Brush without you noticing, and then they want to try stealing a brush themselves. Recently, the other judges in the Underworld keep their brushes tied to their bodies at all times. They take detours when they see Lord Yama. Poor thing.”

Jiang Feng: “……”

The Judge’s Brush, forged from the Judge’s original immortal bones, should theoretically be impossible to lose. If anyone claimed the Judge’s Brush was lost, it would be an absurdly ridiculous matter worthy of mockery. After all, the Judge’s Brush resonates with the Judge’s heart—how could one lose oneself?

Yet the Judge’s Brush was indeed lost, and it hadn’t been found to this day. The Judge had searched the mortal world for so long, only discovering traces of a few counterfeits without finding any clues about the real brush.

So there were only two possibilities.

Either the Judge’s Brush had been destroyed, or the Judge’s Brush....was willingly hiding.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

****

Perhaps because Yama and the two Impermanences were here, tonight the “Yellow Springs Road” appeared particularly early.

It emerged before midnight.

Yama was still watching television when the signal suddenly disappeared. Seeing a small circle spinning continuously in the middle of the video, he went to the window to check the situation.

The scene on the street was more lively than ever. It no longer looked like the Yellow Springs Road but rather some evil ritual site.

There were still groups of paper figures disguised as “Underworld Officials.” They lined both sides of the road, holding white skulls in their hands. The skulls were filled halfway with fresh blood as they walked crookedly.

Their numbers were greater than yesterday, with one standing every meter, forming a line so long its end couldn’t be seen.

And in the middle of the main road stood ordinary ghosts.

Some wore white robes, dragging meter-long red tongues, holding iron chains as they moved forward. At the other end of the chains were several bound souls crying painfully.

Orange lanterns floated down from the sky, illuminating the ghosts’ faces—sinister, horrifying, and ferocious.

“Absurd!” Yama watched with rage. “This is simply insulting our Underworld Main Hall!”

The Yellow Springs Road is a very peaceful path where no one is allowed to make noise. Underworld Officials lead ghosts along the Yellow Springs Road to be judged by the various Kings of Hell. Before this, the summoned ghosts do not suffer any unofficial punishment.

If King Biancheng or King Songdi were here, they would probably be angered back to life.

Yama waved his hand. “Let’s go!”

Black and White Impermanence maintained their Underworld Official status, covering Jiang Feng and Yama with their yin energy as they mixed into the procession and moved forward.

After walking for about half an hour, everyone reached a fork in the road. The procession stopped.

The paper puppets turned back, leaving behind the ordinary ghosts.

A group of ghosts at the fork pulled at each other’s tongues, crying in pain while shouting, “Hurry, hurry! I’m about to become White Impermanence!”

Jiang Feng: “……”

White Impermanence watched for a long time before understanding, gnashing his teeth sinisterly. “Are they imitating me?”

Truthfully, he hadn’t beaten anyone in a long time, but his glorious battle achievements from the past were still there.

After several ghosts finished pulling their tongues, they quickly ran to the side, asking other ghosts guarding the road to measure with rulers.

“Not enough, still eleven centimeters short!”

“Ah—-damn it!”

After a round of wailing, the unqualified ones went back to continue pulling their tongues. The scene was both laughable and horrifying.

What foolish person established such rules? Or was it just to torture these ignorant ghosts?

White Impermanence was the first to approach the ghosts watching the road and asked, “Where is the Judge?”

The ghost didn’t even raise his head and answered, “Everyone wants to see the Judge, but not everyone can see him. Get in line properly!”

White Impermanence stuck out his tongue, which began to lengthen until it nearly touched the ground, and asked, “Is this long enough?”

The ghost widened his eyes. “You…”

White Impermanence retracted his tongue, summoned his soul-summoning banner with his left hand, and waved it in front of his chest. He shouted, “Insolent ghost, you dare to humiliate the Impermanent Ghost Officials!”

A powerful attractive force appeared on the banner, and the nearest ghost was directly sucked into it.

The white cloth banner whipped up a visible black windstorm around it, continuously expanding and sweeping in all directions.

“Ah—-!”

Seeing this, the crowd of ghosts fled in panic, rushing back the way they had come.

Because some people were dragging long tongues, making movement difficult, they were trampled several times in the chaos and rolled in place in pain.

Black Impermanence put his hands together and summoned three rows of black chains around the area, forming a square. Ghosts who hit the chains were like insects hitting a spider web, firmly stuck and unable to move.

Some ghosts with slightly stronger magic powers still broke through and escaped. The two Impermanence officials caught them one by one and threw them into the circle, temporarily unable to spare extra hands.

Outside, there was a chorus of ghost wails, bringing gusts of yin wind. Before long, this indeed disturbed the “Judge” inside.

That person angrily said, “Who is making noise outside, disturbing my Underworld’s public order!”

Yama sneered. “Someone who has never even seen the Underworld dares to call this shabby place the Underworld?”

As his words ended, a cold wind blew across their faces, and an unclear object surrounded by black energy appeared at the fork. He floated in midair, followed by more than a hundred uniformly dressed “White Impermanences.”

White Impermanence jumped when he saw this. “Why only me again!”

Black Impermanence laughed inwardly. “Brother, the capable bear more work.”

The black energy spoke. “How did you get here? There’s also a living person—Taoist priest?”

Yama hadn’t expected him to be in this state.

The Judge’s Brush is not something ordinary people can use, whether real or fake, alive or dead.

This fake Judge before them had already been backlashed into a thousand wounds. His magic power was profound, with the black mist around him as dense as a ghost king’s. However, ghost kings are strong in yin energy, which is beneficial. This one was dense with vengeful energy, which was self-harming.

Peering through the black mist to see his original body, the exposed skin continuously developed new wounds that quickly healed. With the grievances he currently carried, if he descended to hell, he would likely be sentenced to a real “life imprisonment.”

Yama: “You dare impersonate a Judge and privately establish an Underworld in the mortal realm? How dare you, little ghost, be so presumptuous? When I take you back to the Underworld, you will be severely punished!”

There was a commotion behind the “Judge.”

The “Judge” took out a long jade-green brush from his waist, compared it between the two of them, then pointed at Jiang Feng and said, “In this place in the mortal realm, I am the Judge! If you don’t surrender immediately, I will tear apart his soul, making it impossible for you to return!”

The Judge’s Brush?

Both Yama and Jiang Feng’s expressions changed.

Yama smiled coldly. “Go ahead and try if you dare.”

The fake Judge acted recklessly, gripping the brush and making a light stroke. A white light flowed from the tip of the brush, shooting straight into Jiang Feng’s glabella. Jiang Feng closed his eyes and nearly collapsed.

The fake Judge snorted lightly. “Heh. You…”

Before he could finish his threatening words, Jiang Feng’s soul began to expand.

In this wilderness, without extra obstacles, the Judge’s form became especially tall—about three meters high, with purple robes floating and a gold crown on his head.

The little ghosts looked up, seeing the real Judge who had just been mentioned suddenly appearing before them, with terrified expressions.

The Judge slowly opened his eyes, which were like torches, his lips tightly closed. With a wave of his sleeve, the wind grew strong, blowing sand and stones. Raising his hand and pressing downward, he released layers of pressure, like crushing dry twigs, pressing all the little ghosts to the ground.

The ghosts with low magic power couldn’t withstand it immediately, feeling as if they carried millions of pounds of giant stones, unable even to lift their heads.

The fake Judge still stood stubbornly. After initial shock, he still looked up directly at him.

The Judge had worked in the yin realm for many years, controlling ten million ghosts, accumulating prestige over the years. His divine power had never relied on just a Judge’s Brush, especially not a counterfeit one.

The crowd of ghosts thought they could resist, but they didn’t expect to be so easily defeated.

“Who gave you the courage to think you could break away from the Underworld and establish your own faction?” The Judge summoned the Register of Merits and Demerits with his left hand and said sternly, “Prisoner Xie before the hall, you have overstepped your authority, acted perversely, been arrogant, and cruelly taken lives. Who gave you the Judge’s Brush that made you dare to commit such a great error?”

“I…” He raised his eyebrows, still firmly saying, “That’s right! I don’t admit any mistake!”

He excitedly said, “You are the ones who are wrong! I’ve had enough! In life, I was a lawyer. I once believed in the so-called fairness of the law, but I continuously saw various helplessness and injustices. As long as you have money, as long as you have no shame, you can do whatever you want! The law cannot guarantee justice, cannot guarantee right from wrong, and sometimes cannot even guarantee fairness! I told myself that the law is to protect the majority, and these people would face retribution after death! But what happens? It’s the same in life and after death! We just jump from one circle of rules to another. I don’t accept it!”

The Judge said, “All things in the human world are recorded in the Register of Merits and Demerits.”

“Your broken book records their wrongs, but does it record the unfairness between them?” The ghost crooked his mouth, his expression ferocious and malevolent. “The rich are born superior. They can act willfully. What about the poor? They are driven to desperation step by step. What should be done about this? Say they’re weak and don’t know how to resist? That’s because they have no room for resistance. Their living environment only teaches them to constantly obey. They have no second path after resistance! This world is unfair from the beginning, yet you continue according to these twisted and distorted rules!”

He patted his chest and said, “Who is the real Judge! I am! Look at them—they all follow me, they agree with me. This is proof! You just rely on official authority to act willfully!”

The Judge extended his hand, and a golden palm appeared in midair above the fake Judge’s head, gripping him entirely. With another curl of his fingers, he summoned the fallen Judge’s Brush.

He twirled the brush in his hand, then clenched it into a claw and crushed it.

This fake brush was interesting—the two ends crumbled to powder, but the middle section remained. The Judge rubbed it for a while but couldn’t identify what material it was made of, only feeling it contained thick and extremely familiar spiritual energy. He first put it in his sleeve, then looked up at the fake Judge.

The fake Judge seemed about to be crushed by the immense force, howling in successive waves of pain. The Judge loosened his grip a bit, allowing him enough energy to hear what he was saying.

“This lord has lived for thousands of years, seen countless ghosts, and handled countless wrongful cases. They may feel discontent, hatred, sorrow, or self-righteousness and conceit. You are not the first like this, nor will you be the last.” The Judge raised his head and said, “This lord can tell you that you are in fact ignorant, merely a frog in a well. What you call great justice is merely private sentiment. You find the mortal world unfair yet follow the same corrupt practices. You speak of injustice yet are blinded by a single leaf. There are many conscientious, dutiful people whom you completely ignore.”

(TL: 一葉障目 idiom meaning “to be blinded by a single leaf,” referring to being too focused on one small detail to see the bigger picture.)

The Register of Merits and Demerits in the Judge’s hand flipped rapidly. He pointed casually and said, “That person, he committed burglary and murdered a family of three. He was never caught and brought to justice.”

“That one, he raped and murdered women, then falsely accused others.”

“And that person, as a doctor, he sold fake medicine, causing deaths.”

“Why don’t you punish these people? Not only do you not punish them, but you also appoint them as Underworld Officials. How can the Underworld Officials be treated so frivolously? The Kings of Hell of each hall are upright and impartial, never showing favoritism. How would they allow such people to appear in official robes in the main hall?”

“They follow you not because you are just, but precisely because they believe they can receive favoritism here. What you want is not justice, but a King of Hell’s Hall, and the respect and admiration of others. What you’ve done is merely to cater to these little ghosts’ flattery. In life and death, you are the same despicable person.”

For someone who doesn’t value life at all, is the so-called judgment truly for justice or for selfish desires?

The Judge said, “This lord came personally to capture you, not because you’ve achieved anything significant, but to let you see what the mighty Underworld is. How dare such small fry have such ambitions!”

As he spoke, he stomped his foot, and black energy emerged from the ground. Underworld Officials appeared before the little ghosts, lined up neatly, forming a vast dark mass as far as the eye could see.

With solemn faces, holding iron chains, they were intimidating without even showing anger.

The voices of the Underworld Officials echoed across the mountains and fields.

“Greetings to King Yama.”

“Greetings to the Judge.”

The sound made their ears ring painfully.

The Judge closed the Register of Merits and Demerits. “Take them away for questioning.”